What I’m reading: Late Wife by Claudia Emerson
What’s on the iPod: Keep Yourself Warm by Frightened Rabbit
Once upon a time, I was named to a Top Blog list. It was when Maria Schneider was heading the Writer’s Digest blog, and she called this blog “the little black dress” of blogs. I was over the moon – first because it came from Maria, second because she equated this blog to a fashion staple. It was the only time I won any type of blogging award. And I’m blissfully happy with that.
Frankly, there are so many blogging awards that float around the Internet from time to time that one could make a career of chasing them down, begging for nominations, and fanning away crocodile tears when someone does. It’s just so odd to me. Most blogging contests are set up in this way – choose a number of blogs you’ll name as top blogs, set the parameters, and watch the feeding frenzy as bloggers prostitute themselves for nomination and their friends scramble to second and third them. Then the nominated blogs have to face an arbitrary decision by the judge(s).
The lists will contain a few of my favorites, but more often they seem repetitive. I follow blogs for various reasons – for information, for community, for commiseration, for a bit of solidarity in a solitary profession. If I were to nominate blogs, I’d be choosing those written by people who don’t just inform, but build community. I’d choose someone whose blog makes me laugh, think, or makes me feel less alone in my job. I know each blog award giver-outer has their own criteria. It’s just rare that these awards mesh with things I’d actually love reading with every post.
So here are my nominations and winners for Best Unnoticed Blogs:
Ink in My Coffee – Does anyone reveal more of herself in a blog than Devon? If you’ve read her blog, you’ve bonded with her. And you want to know her. I’m fortunate – I do.
Screw You! – I found Kathy’s blog long before I started this one. She’s honest and open and delivers a no-holds-barred look at writing and her writing life. I can’t get enough. Please don’t ever stop, Kathy. My day wouldn’t be the same without you.
About Freelance Writing Before Kathy, there was Anne. She built first a community on her About.com page, then successfully moved it to her own site, once more building a super community and resource for writers at all levels. Anne is someone I would follow through flames.
Simply Stated Business Cathy Miller, you make me smile. Your ideas are great, your blog is fun to read, and you champion the beginning writer. Amen.
Avid Writer Here’s a woman who gets it. Kimberly Ben has a way of bringing you the info you need in a way that makes you feel like she’s talking to you over a cup of coffee.
All Freelance Writing Jenn Mattern, I want to mirror your every move. You’ve made an art form out of how to build a freelance career, and that website is my go-to site for both info and laughs. I’m eagerly awaiting your query-free writer book. Type faster.
The Well-Fed Writer Blog Peter Bowerman not only writes fantastic writing books, he’s also a terrific, congenial person. He poses great questions and gets a lively discussion going every time.
love. Carrie Link shares every joyous, wonderful, achingly painful moment of her life as Rojo’s and Woohoo’s mom. She is love personified.
A Writer’s Edge Here’s a writer with some edge – Georganna Hancock is a seriously witty, wild, warm, edgy writer who makes me laugh and think at the same time. I adore her grammar lessons almost as much as her soul-baring posts.
I have a list much longer, but those are the ones I frequent most often, and the ones that pull me back in every post.
Now it’s your turn. Which blogs do you frequent that get your nomination for Best Unnoticed Blogs?
10 responses to “The Best Unnoticed Blogs”
Thanks for the link love. I'll be returning the favor soon when that job ad you recently shared gets my Middle Finger Award. The admiration is mutual. Your blog is the first one I stop at every day. It definitely deserves more recognition than it gets, but I have to agree with you when it comes to these awards. Most of them feel like nothing more than recognition for one's ability to self-promote.
Great List. Thanks for posting. Chuck
Just when I think I've rss'd everything out there, you prove me wrong. Ah, well, it'll only absorb a *little* more time in the day to add a few more 🙂
Fabulous post. I love finding good sources for great blog reading.
Thanks!
I realized something – these blogs are not unnoticed. They're unrewarded. I notice them all. I'm a fan of every page. So my apologies for calling these folks "unnoticed." That's what I get for typing late at night. 🙂
Thanks for the link love. I'm actually moved now and posting again!
Lori-Pardon my late reply. I was picking up my Fight Like A Girl team in San Diego for the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.
We made it-60 miles-despite the monsoons!
Thank you so much for having me on your "unnoticed" list-and I take no offense at the truth. 🙂 Another great side bennie of my trip to San Diego was lunch with Anne Wayman.
From Anne, I discovered you and have been thrilled ever since. Talk about a champion of writers. The two of you are a shining example of the wonderful generosity of the freelancing world. You have made my transition so much more delightful!
I am soooo behind from the 3=Day and coming home to snow and no power, but could not pass this opportunity to thank you for the link love and all you do, Lori!
OMG! This is what I get for depending on Google Alerts to let me know when my blog or my name is mentioned! It seems you need to "refresh" the service every so often …
You are so sweet to select "A Writer's Edge" for the reward of a mention by you. I feel honored! and sorry I have so little time to cruise the blogs the way I used to. Must be the damn Twitter, and we know who got me started there!
*wink wink*
And those adjectives! So much better than my first net mention years ago — girl said I have a weird sense of humor. Or was it "wired"?
Thanks again!
No need to mirror me — you do more than fine on your own! 🙂
As for the awards, it's definitely "gag me" season again. I have a pretty strict policy. If you ask for nominations or votes, you won't get them. If you do it on Twitter, you're un-followed. If you really deserve it, you never have to ask. This was a big pet peeve of mine years ago in the PR industry (PR and marketing started this lovely "top blog" trend), and I'm so sad to see how prevalent it's become in the freelance community now. More ego-stroking, and more importantly linkbait for those holding the "contests". My PR blog used to make these stupid lists all the time. For a while I'd even ask to be removed after the fact, but that got even more obnoxious. So I try to ignore them now. And when it does still happen, I'd be the last person to put a little banner or award image up on my site. Just more "look at me!" garbage and link love to the contest holder (why many do this in the first place — hint: it's not really about you at all). I just hate seeing otherwise good bloggers get caught up in these juvenile popularity contests, and worse, suck their readers in with them.
/rant
Oh, and as for The Query-Free Freelancer, the first draft of the book will be finished in less than three weeks! 🙂 It's exciting. But just thinking of all the work yet to come is equally exhausting. 😉